First Community Forest managed by Baka Indigenous gets ready for REDD

It´s not difficult to guess what is the most important economic activity in the area East of the Dja Wildlife Reserve. One truck heavily loaded with huge logs after the other comes our way as we head towards Lomié.

The only Community Forest entirely managed by Baka Indigenous in Cameroon, Buma Bo-Kpode in Nomedjoh tries to go another way. With the help of the CED and others, they developed a sustainable forest management plan which sets out alternatives to large-scale clear-cut logging. Payment for environmental services such as the carbon content of the community forest is one important corner stone of the concept.

We witness how the community trains for participative mapping and carbon inventory. Highly motivated, they embark on a 10-days trip to measure the data necessary to estimate the carbon stored in their trees. They handle compass, GPS, and measuring tape with a lot of diligence under the supervision of experienced staff.

Apart from payments for carbon sequestration, the community tries to develop other economic activities. As the Bakas are traditionally hunter-gathers, they have not yet managed to set up very productive fields. Improving farming, livestock breeding, and the production of handicraft are some of the envisaged activities, as well as exploring new chaines of marketing to improve the income for the community. With the income expected, they hope to finance a health center, an electricity generator, and better food for the elderly.